Have you ever had Chinese-style baked stuffed mushrooms? When I was growing up, it was a popular appetizer at Chinese and tiki restaurants my family frequented. Usually filled with a sesame-accented pork filling that became caramelized in the oven, these bite-sized morsels were hard to resist.

With February designated as National Snack Food month, I decided to create a similar dish using Soy Vay® Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce, a thick flavorful sauce with plenty of sesame oil and sesame seeds. (I started my partnership with Soy Vay last month and have been experimenting with a few of their sauces.) Instead of pork, I decided to use ground chicken as a mushroom filling. For the flavoring, I just added minced ginger, scallions, and the Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce. You simply mix together the filling, fill up the mushroom caps, brush on a little olive oil, and sprinkle extra sesame seeds on top. Then the stuffed mushrooms bake in the oven for just 20 minutes.

The mushrooms make for tasty hor d’oeuvres for parties or just a side dish at dinner. You can also mix the filling and stuff the mushrooms ahead of time, and just pop them in the oven before serving. To test the seasoning of the meat mixture, just sauté a small bit of the filling in a skillet, and adjust accordingly with salt and pepper.

What are some of your favorite snacks or appetizers that use teriyaki sauce?

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Teriyaki Chicken Stuffed Mushrooms

Serves 4 as an appetizer

3/4 pound ground chicken

2 teaspoons minced ginger

2 scallions, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons Soy Vay® Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce

1 pound cremini or white button mushrooms

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons white sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Make the filling: In a small bowl, combine the ground chicken, ginger, scallions, and teriyaki sauce . Mix thoroughly; the filling should resemble a thick paste. Set aside.

Remove and discard the stems from the mushrooms and wipe the caps with a damp towel. Fill the mushroom caps with about 1 tablespoon of filling. Pack tightly so that top of filling is rounded like a miniature dome. Place the stuffed mushrooms on the prepared baking sheet, cap side down. With a pastry brush, brush the top of the filling with olive oil. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the meat is cooked through, the top of the chicken has browned, and the mushrooms are softened. (If you're using large cremini or white button mushrooms and used more filling, it's safer to bake for 25 minutes.)

Remove from the oven and allow the mushrooms to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Disclosure: I am a Soy Vay® Ambassador and Soy Vay® products were provided to me by Soy Vay®.